Nevermore

by Linda Newbery

'What's all this ready for?' Tizzie asked. 'Is someone coming?' 'No,' Davy answered. 'It's always like this. No one ever comes.' 'It feels like the house is waiting.' 'That's because it is. Always waiting.'

Tizzie's changeable life has brought her to Roven Mere, a mysterious, rambling house, deep in the countryside. She's curious to meet Lord Rupert, the owner, and his daughter Greta, who Tizzie hopes will be the friend she longs for. But Roven Mere seems like a museum, and no one knows when Lord Rupert and Greta will come home.

As she explores the rooms and passageways, Tizzie makes a startling discovery about why she's been brought to Roven Mere...

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens, British Literature, Contemporary, Middle Grade

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Linda Newbery's latest novel for adults is THE ONE TRUE THING. She has published widely for readers of all ages, and is a Costa Prize category winner with SET IN STONE, a young adult Victorian mystery. She has twice been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, with THE SHELL HOUSE and SISTERLAND.

With friends Adele Geras and Celia Rees, Linda hosts the literary blog WRITERS REVIEW, which features reviews, recommendations, interviews with authors and insights from booksellers.

Linda is an active campaigner on animal and environmental issues and has published a guide to compassionate living: THIS BOOK IS CRUELTY FREE - ANIMALS AND US.

She lives in rural Oxfordshire.

Reviews

[Ricarda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like this book. Too predictable in itself with unbelievable characters who change too much too fast or not at all.
Two stars solely because it's not badly written and because of some loving details here and there.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

'It feels like the house is waiting.'
'That's because it is, always waiting.'

Tizzie has never known life as anything remotely stable or continous. She lives with her mother, Morag, who's a chef. Tizzie's mom never sticks to any job for very long and so they travel all over London, changing apartments and renting houses till one day Tizzie's mom suddenly decides to leave the city for the country side and stay there in the house-or rather mansion-of Roven Mere. It's a beautiful place. The large house is surrounded by huge grounds, has a lake and gardens, a small blue rowing boat, a clump of an island in the middle of the lake, and a small cloud cottage where Tizzie and her mum can live. The house has a gardener, Will; his son Davy; Davy's grandmom Mrs. Clump; Jack Doughty who looks after the ground and of course Finnigan who's in charge of the place and hires everyone else to look after it and supervises their work. the house belongs to the Evershalls: Lord Rupert Eversahall, his wife Angeline and their daughter Greta. the house is in constant preparation for their arrival. A box garden for Lord Rupert and Lady Angeline, a pony for Greta, and a doll house for her...the list of things bought and prepared for them never seems to end. Everyday their beds are made, their rooms cleaned, their tables laid. But there's one tiny problem: they never come. Tizzie soon realizes that it's almost like an enchantment, like the house is under a spell. It's forever waiting for a family that never really comes. And the only one who really knows them or hears from them is Finnigan, who in everyone's opinion is slightly crazed. And yet everyone just goes on and on making box hedges, cooking dinners and living life everyday...never really bothering to see why lord Rupert and his daughter never come home.


The writing of the story was nothing exceptional but for two qualities. Firstly, it kind of pulls you into the lull of Roven Mere: the mysterious calmness. And secondly the wonderful descriptions of the mansion and the countryside. The plot was thin and the characters weren't too well developed and some at some parts the relationship between Tizzie and her mother were plain unrealistic. But it makes up for that with the storytelling.

[Selene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This children's book promised loads but didn't deliver! It could have been brilliant but lacked oomph! What a shame.

[Isla Went · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t really have high hopes
2.5 stars maybe

[Amalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have started Nevermore before. This time I finished it! There is just enough of a mystery here to keep the pages turning, but not enough to scare me. I scare very easily, which is probably why I put this book down the last time I borrowed it from the library. I had worked out much of the mystery by the end of the book, but was still in for a little surprise, that someone else probably would have figured out.

Tizzie has spent her life moving from one house to another, from one school to the next, from one city to another. Now, her mother has dragged her off into the country. She can't even get reception for her cell phone for crying out loud! Tizzie's mom has been hired as the cook at Roven Mere. The house is fully staffed and ready and waiting for the family to return. They are returning imminently, the staff are assured. And yet, almost none of the current staff has ever met the elusive Lord Rupert and family. Tizzie is looking forward to the return of Greta Evershall, who is said to be her age. She envisions them becoming fast friends. When will they return and how will life at Roven Mere change when they do?

I really felt for Tizzie and my nerves were jumping for her as she tried to discover the secrets and unravel the mystery of Roven Mere, all the while trying to make friends and fit in at her new school.

Nevermore is a book that keeps you thinking and wondering about this odd little world that seems to be ever waiting.

[Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nevermore is a gothic mystery for the middle grade set. It's the kind of book I would positively have devoured when I was 8-12 ish, but I'm not too grown up to enjoy it even now! There's nothing in it that is likely to upset a child of this age or up (some vague - and totally false - rumours about murderous deeds are as scary as it gets), but there is a rather surprising answer to the mysteries of Roven Mere - one that kept me guessing right up to the very end.

This is a rather charming little book which feels a bit like a children's classic, and though I'm embarrassed to admit to ever agreeing with The Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday (argh), their review is pretty spot on: "A lovely, old fashioned book, requiring a fireside, crumpets and a storm outside".

[Alice Scully]

This book is about a girl and her mother who are constantly moving house, and finally, the mum gets a job as a cook in this huge house called 'Roven Mere'. But, there is a surprise in this house that will change their lives forever...

[Ellesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's all this ready for? Tizzie asked
"Is someone coming?"
"No" Davey answered
"Its always like this. No-one every comes."
"It feels like the house is waiting."
"Thats because it. Always waiting"

[Tanaya Bhate · Rating 5 out of 5]

_5/5 Stars: A Hauntingly Beautiful Novel with a Stunning Twist_

I am still reeling from the experience of reading "Nevermore" by Linda Newbery. This book is a masterclass in storytelling, with a plot that is both hauntingly beautiful and expertly crafted. From the very first page, I was drawn into the world of the story, and I remained on the edge of my seat for the entire duration of the book.

The writing is exquisite, with a lyrical quality that is both evocative and atmospheric. Newbery's prose is like a work of art, weaving together a tapestry of words that is both beautiful and haunting. The characters are complex and multi-dimensional, with a depth and nuance that makes them feel fully realized and relatable.

But what truly sets "Nevermore" apart is its plot. The story is a slow-burning build-up of tension and suspense, with a twist at the end that is both shocking and expertly handled. I did not see it coming, and yet, in hindsight, it makes perfect sense. The twist is a testament to Newbery's skill as a writer, and it elevates the book from a good read to a great one.

One of the things that I love most about "Nevermore" is its ability to balance atmosphere and plot. The book is set in a creepy, old-fashioned boarding school, and Newbery does a fantastic job of creating a sense of foreboding and unease. The setting is vividly described, and the sense of isolation and claustrophobia is palpable.

Despite its many strengths, "Nevermore" is a surprisingly underrated book. It deserves so much more popularity and recognition, and I hope that my review will encourage more readers to give it a try. This book is a must-read for fans of atmospheric, suspenseful fiction, and it is a testament to the power of storytelling to transport us to another world and keep us on the edge of our seats.

In short, "Nevermore" is a stunning novel that will appeal to fans of authors like Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and Ruth Ware. It is a book that will keep you up late at night, turning the pages and wondering what will happen next. The writing is beautiful, the characters are complex, and the plot is expertly crafted. If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and read "Nevermore". You won't regret it.

I am so glad that I stumbled upon this book, and I will be recommending it to everyone I know. It is a true gem, and it deserves to be recognized as such. So, if you're looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you breathless, look no further than "Nevermore" by Linda Newbery. It is a truly unforgettable reading experience.

[Culture-Vulture · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warning:
🚨 Spoilers ahead, and lots of strong language. You've been warned. 🚨
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I've got to keep reminding myself that it's a children's story so as to keep a lid on my annoyance.

I'll mention what I liked first:
*The stories illustrating the various meanings of "happiness".
*The atmosphere built up throughout the novel, with all the details about the Roven Mere mansion.
*I didn't realise that Tizzie's mother was Greta, until a couple of chapters before the reveal. It was camouflaged well.
*Tizzie's mother behaves exactly like a spoiled rich girl would. And she also behaves like a rough-edged girl who's lived hard. There was good balance in that characterization. I heartily disliked Tizzie's mother, from start to finish, for her utter lack of parenting skills, and it makes sense that she's such a useless parent given how she was raised herself.

I gave it 2 stars since it felt like the author believes in Communist utopias. The entire story read like a moral about dismantling the old system of nobility and great wealth, to a system where it's shared with the masses. The author needs to read up about the tragedy of the commons.

I thought this book could have achieved a lot more. Instead it's about a ridiculous domestic squabble, a crazed old guy who's given to insane flights of fancy that are impossible to believe, an old stereotype about the flightiness of actresses/hippies, and a rag-to-riches Princess tale. (This tale is the ugly bastard child of Communist Utopian Ideals and simpering Princess fantasies.)

I would have given it 3.5 stars, but the little Commie daydream at the end gave me hives. I'm so sick of this uber-leftist utopia crap, even though I'm a Liberal myself. It's not real life. Maintaining huge estates takes money and lots of personal investment. Or give it to the state to turn it into a museum. But the Marxist little dream this book paints, about rich nobility toiling as serfs on their own land in order to share it with the masses, isn't real life or sustainable in any reasonable way, whatsoever.

I hate it when fiction gets taken over by ideology. The rioting and looting during this pandemic has shown me the dangers of such muddled and muddied thought. Leftist utopian ideology, with its rich history of empty virtue-signaling, is the brainchild of the devil, which ultimately leads to the contents of societal hell. 👿

[Amberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started and finished date - 16.12.25 to 19.12.25.
My rating – Three Stars.
This book was okay, and I somewhat enjoyed it also I think people who like dream house by Marzia Bisognin or the peculiar incident on shady street by Lindsay Currie may like is book. The cover of book was simple but stunning and I think the colour palette at was used on the cover of book was pretty good. I think the writing was okay and the writing were easy to follow also the ending of book was somewhat enjoyable. I think the setting of the book was okay but could be better and the atmosphere was pretty good. The plot of book was both very simple and predictable, but enjoyable and I think someone younger would enjoy is book more.

I think both the mystery and the suspense was okay, but it could use some tweaking also the twists in the book were fine. I think the book has an okay balance fantasy and mystery. I think both the friendships and relationships between all the characters was written was okay, but it be better specially the relationship between Tizzie and her mother. I think found the paced in the book was well structured and steady paced but I wise it was longer. The characters were decent, and I somewhat like the characters in the book, but they could be flash out bit more.

[Jono McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first three quarters are quite enjoyable, mysterious, intriguing, exciting (though it was pretty obvious where the story was heading). The ending, however, felt like it had been written by a different author: the mum’s personality flipped beyond belief and suddenly everybody was just explaining everything, and everything was happy and all the bad things could be magically fixed with a positive outlook.
The first three quarters keep my rating high, but I was really disappointed by the ending.

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

I'm pretty sure that I would've loved this book, if I had a chance to read it in my childhood. Pickping it up now, th mystery was a little bit too easy and obvious to me, but I still very much enjoyed the setting and the writing. (also, I so do want to move into the house that Tizzy and her Mom stayed at!)

[Dominika · Rating 1 out of 5]

3/10
meh, nie siadło sam pomysł w sobie bardzo fajny i nie ukrywam myślałam, że Greta to została zabita a nie że to matka Bety więc za to plus, ale samo w sobie to się czytało jak flaki z olejem, słabo budowane napięcie i mnóstwo niepotrzebnych wtrąceń z życia Bety.
o XD dopiero po wystawieniu oceny widzę że to literatura dziecięca upsi, to już wiemy dlaczego nie siadło

[LudmilaM · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than expected

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story for tweens. A story of loss, love, story-telling and family.

[Anna Dalben · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7 - finished and enjoyed; intrigued by mystery: didn't quite do it for me completely

[Makayla Crockett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I audibly gasped at this book. That never happens. Page 194.

[Hadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 🌟

[Daisy May Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always feel with Linda Newbery that I read her stuff on a slightly different level. She has such grace with her writing, such precise and skilled use of tone and of shadow and of light, that sometimes it can feel like an education in how to write books and how to write books that are somehow more than books.

Nevermore is something quite lovely. Quite mysterious, too. Tizzie and her mother aremoving to Roven Mere. It's a house full of secrets and everyone is waiting for the owner and his daughter - Lord Rupert and Greta - to come home and live in the house once more.

There's echoes of Tom's Midnight Garden, of Lucy M. Boston and of The Secret Garden here, stories within stories and stories that you're not quite able to see into just yet, until the time is right, and you ache with the longing for that time to be now, now, now.

Newbery makes me greedy. I want more of her work every time I read it: "Shrugged into moodiness, she wore it like a coat, even though part of her wanted to wriggle out of it and stamp it to the floor." How can you not just taste that image?

There's so much more of this throughout the book, such vivid little moments that sing: "The pony had stopped grazing to look at them. She made a small, whickering sound, but didn't move. They made their way towards her, Davy swinging the rope halter. Brown butterflies, disturbed, rose from the long grass."

Everything. Everything.

[Christie (The Ludic Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nevermore is the kind of book I would have loved as a young reader. Plucky heroine, manor house in the English countryside, an intriguing mystery. The problem for me, of course, was that I solved the mystery early on – but that doesn’t mean the book wasn’t fun to read.

Twelve-year-old Tizzie and her mother, Morag, have moved to Roven Mere, where Morag has taken a job as a cook. The huge estate is a constant source of intrigue, especially for Tizzie, who hopes that for once Morag will give up the wanderlust that has driven them from town-to-town most of her life.

Owned by Sir Rupert Evershall, but run by the crusty Finnigan, Roven Mere is always at the ready for the return of Sir Rupert and his young daughter, Greta.

“Is he very grand, Lord Rupert?” Tizzie asks Mrs. Crump, the housekeeper.

“Oh, I’ve never actually met him,” said Mrs. Crump. None of us have. Only Finnigan. We’re expecting him home in a week or two. Him and his family. Very exciting it’ll be, meeting them at last.”

Tizzie spends her early days exploring the house – which does seem to be in a constant state of readiness for Sir Rupert and Greta’s homecoming – making friends with Davy, Mrs. Crump’s grandson, and trying to manage her mother’s moodiness.

The book is intended for younger readers whom I am sure would be charmed by Tizzie, the novel’s mystery and Roven Mere itself. I certainly was.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having had the privilege of working with Linda Newbery a few years ago, it was with some interest I came to this. A quick read, concerning 11 yr old Tizzie and her nomadic mother's arrival at the mysterious Roven Mere in Gloucester as cook to the absent Lord Rupert Evershall. Most of the characters are sketches rather than detailed portraits and I have to say, the resolution was rather too neat for my rather gothic palate. Granted this is written primarily for children/early teens, it's understandable the ending is as neat as it is, but the fall into the realm of 'they all lived happily ever after' territory remains incredible to say the least. Regardless, this is enjoyable and well written.

[Madge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it's not really a story for teenagers who love mystery. Yes, the house of Roven Mere itself is a mystical place, together with its owners Lord Rupert and his family. This book was quite predictable. Of course there are some twists that I did not expect. The events did not really surprise me, though. I had a glimpse. At first I thought, Greta was just a name and they're seeking someone to embody her every year or in every generation. I think it would be better it ended like that. An it would be much better if Greta was another person and not Mum. Well maybe this story is for kids. It tells a story about finding happiness.

[Sean Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simple novel, reminiscent of The Secret Garden, for a younger teen if not late primary. It is fanciful without being reality suspending. I thought I picked the twist but there was another one that blew half of it out of the water so I was very impressed at that. I had more respect for the book after that point.
A story of a girl trying to make do with what she can get while living an almost gypsy lifestyle led by her mother who just can't seem to settle.

[Liz Yardley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book. Beautifully written and with a gentle pace, yet the plot remains interesting.
Afterwards I realised this was the same writer of 'The Firefly Gate' - another wonderful book.
Writing like this makes me think of Art. There are some adult hooks, as well as interest for younger readers. I hope Newbery keeps writing & writing.

[Joanna]

I think this book is a very simple story but with a great depth to it. Once you've read the first page you will be wanting to read more! I would reccomend this book to ages 8-13 year olds as it has an easy storyline. I would definately reccomend you read this book. However, if you read it the second time it will spoil your enjoyment and it shall be a waste of time.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the mystery and intrigue that came with this book, trying to figure out what will happen next. However the book was very short and I therefore finished it very quickly, I really wish it could have been a little longer

[jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was okay, It took me long to read as I was reading other books and this one was put on hold. This book is good but it moved very slowly which I didn't enjoy. It was an okay book, I actually thought that from the title it would be some related to Edgar Allen Poe, but whatever, it's a good read.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

A warm tale which explores the concept of 'family'. Happy ending!